I’ve been asked to write a bit about my views of our two presidential candidates – Barak Obama and John McCain. Let me preface this whole post by saying that I am a very conservative person (rare on the internet) but I am a free thinker who doesn’t follow any herd completely. I believe that any honest and even elementarily intelligent person will not totally buy into 100% of what their favorite political party believes. If someone says they are in complete agreement with every single point of ideology their part holds, they are lying, or aren’t actually thinking about anything – and simply nodding their empty little heads.
Every human being needs to think for themselves!
This post is an answer to a question about what I think, and it is not intended to stand as fact but simple opinion. It is also not directed toward the person who asked the question, but stands alone, and is directed to all who follow politics and like to learn about other people’s views.
Anyway, when it comes to our present choices for Commander-in-Chief, I have to honestly say that I see things of merit in both men. I also see various items of concern in each man’s character, ideology, or leadership style. If I had my way, there would be a completely different person in the running, but if I had my way completely – I would be Emperor of the United States of ME.
As it is for now, though, we have two men of vastly different backgrounds, cultures, and moral fortitude. On the one hand we have Barak Obama, a 47 year old black man who has been serving in The United States Senate for less than four years. He has a powerfully hypnotizing speaking style that lulls his audiences into a communal state of excitement, but doesn’t always have the substance behind his words to make people cement their belief in him. He’s a brilliant man, and has phenomenal people skills, but I feel that this only speaks to his ability to inspire emotion, and not actual conviction. His associations have been more than dubious, though, and range from a dramatically racist and disrespectful pastor to a criminal real estate developer to the leader of a violent underground terrorist group that is responsible for the deaths of many American citizens.
On the other hand, we have John McCain. He is 72 years old, and served in the US Navy from 1954 to 1981, a total of 27 years – five and a half years of this were spent as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. In 1977, McCain served as a Congressional liaison for the Navy, and thus marked his first step into the world of politics. He is a national hero, and a man who has always stood in the face of tyranny from protecting bullied cadets at the Naval Academy to refusing release by his captors until other men were released first. One fault of his has been the dishonoring of his first wife and marriage. It does speak better of him, though, that he always accepted complete responsibility for the failure of his marriage. He has since been remarried, and remains faithful. Starting in 1982, McCain was a congressman and a senator over the following two decades. His views fall in line more or less with those of legendary President Ronald Reagan, but he is known far and wide for his lack of any hesitation to stand against even his own party if he believes they’re wrong.
The two men are diametrically opposed. One is a flashy rock star type, who is riding a gargantuan wave of youthful and racial popularity. He is idealistic to an almost niave sense, but I feel he truly believes the things he says he wants to do. The other has a rock solid foundation of experience and legitimate service to this country on all levels. He is bolstered by the large base of afluent white conservative voters, but doesn’t get a big boost from the extremely right thinking people who see him as too loose a cannon
I will vote for McCain. I believe that he is one of the last true heroes in American government. I will also vote for him as a vote against Obama, simply because I find him patently dishonest, opportunistic, and hollow. I admit that all politicians are less than integrous by their very nature, but Obama goes above and beyond the call of dishonor. I don’t like the idea of voting for a man who has been unfaithful to a wife, but I have more of a problem with a vote for a man who has been and will continue to be unfaithful to the entire country.
I have a thing against blue blood rich people like McCain’s wife and her family, but I have an even bigger thing against rich patronizing people who try to portray themselves as blue collar. Ask someone who gets the most financial benefit out of the whole Fannie Mae Fiasco – after the head of the company, who happens to be an Obama adviser, there is, standing in second place… Obama himself. But hey, he’s all about change and helping the working class Joe’s like himself, right? Right? Anybody?.
I could go on and on, further justifying and showing how a vote for McCain is the best choice off of the present menu, but it’s a personal decision – and no matter how right I am, I know that I can’t change anyone’s mind unless they are truly thinking for themselves and examining the facts. If you’re a person doing that, then I don’t need to convince you, because you already agree.
I now that this post is probably going to anger many, many, many people – and all I can say is give me a break. This is my journal, and it is my post, and it is my opinion. You are also entitled to yours, and I won’t bitch and moan when I think you’re being a blind sheep. So, please don’t give me shit just because you don’t see things the way I do.
God Bless America.
You should really do boatloads of political research before deciding who you’re going to vote for. Like, read everything. Everything. And then check the sources. Fox News and USA today don’t count. Fox news is actually fined in the EU if they use the word “news” because it doesn’t meet basic requirements for journalism standards (i.e. their “facts” aren’t true.)
I mean, I don’t have anything against your opinion, but the stuff you’ve mentioned up above isn’t even a fraction of the facts that matter. You’ve got the basic ideas up there that most Americans get fed from the news media, which is greatly biased, but not a lot of the history (details matter here) of either candidate or their running mates (Palin was part of a group that wants to secede from the US, man, that is huge.) Nor do you have information about what the economy looks like and what McCain has supported previously, or that Alan Greenspan has denounced and proven that McCain’s economic plans are completely counterproductive and we are in a major crisis that can’t afford those policies. McCain also stated himself that he doesn’t know much about economy. That’s not something we can afford to handle right now. Palin doesn’t know anything about anything so whatever let’s not even discuss her.
I didn’t go in with a favorite when I started researching. I always look to see what’s what before just going all bipartisan loyalty. All the research I’ve done points to McCain being ill-equipped, his running mate even moreso, to run the white house. I respect and appreciate that he’s a war hero. I’ve got loved ones in the military and I have a big soft spot for men in the service, but that doesn’t make him qualified to run a country. Admitting that he doesn’t know much about economics, particularly, is such a terrifying thought to have in the white house right now. I’m pretty insulted that anyone would run for president who isn’t a fucking wizard at foreign and economic policy. That kind of thing isn’t on-the-job training material.
Obama’s charisma isn’t why I’m voting for him. I don’t have much interest in his publicity skills. I’m voting for him because he has degrees in political science and law from harvard. Because no matter how he identifies, he is aware that the majority of Americans are middle-class and losing their houses. Because he isn’t into revoking Roe vs. Wade on the grounds of “constitutional purism” which is a philosophy that also includes, oh, slavery amongst other notions that have been removed because they were just wrong to begin with. I appreciate his deep knowledge of economy and foreign policy GREATLY. I also appreciate that Obama has worked with inner city groups. I think it’s really important to recognize that the majority of Americans outside of major cities, swing states like Ohio for example, have no idea what it means to be in Chicago or New York. I relish the idea of a president knowing anything about what that huge percentage of our country lives like.
Cities are the first place that the citizens feel the impact of something going wrong in Washington. Reaganomics, for example, (trickle-down, what McCain digs) is responsible for 1/3 of our homeless being veterans. Talk about war heroes, jeez. They get PTSD from fighting for us and we look disgusted when they ask for change. Likewise, the homeless population skyrocketed under trickle-down because mental health care became inaccessible and poor people with schizophrenia lost their ability to get treatment/hold jobs. Taxes were lower for the upper class because we literally abandoned the people that fought in vietnam for our country along with every other person who desperately needed the help. Trickle-down supports all this staying as it is.
It hurts me that McCain also chose Palin, because who you choose as your right-hand needs to be a very good bet. Her school district had the lowest test scores in the country, but she put money into hunting. She was also absent from her seat for 316 days in the span of about 400. Her peers were furious that she was so absent. She’s admitted the she doesn’t know anything about foreign policy, which considering we just did raids in Pakistan and there’s chatter of Iran, is a big deal. There’s also the huge scandals, but more importantly her office emails that ask “Can we use personal emails to talk about how to cover ourselves during this investigation, that won’t get subpoenaed?”
What scared me most was McCain and his campaign managers admitting that they didn’t research her until 4 days before the nomination, and were only on-ground in Alaska the night before. They didn’t talk to any other people she worked with, including politicians, or any people in her town. The campaign mgr. also flat-out lied and said “we had the fbi do a check” -the FBI doesn’t do background checks like that. It would be grossly biased and a misuse of power. The FBI publicly stated that the McCain campaign lied about that in the fog of everyone being like “do you even know who you just chose?” -That clenched it really for me. The fact that McCain didn’t research his VP absolutely made me aware that he isn’t the man for the job. If you’re in your 70’s and a cancer survivor, you really need someone who is strong as a running-mate. It was irresponsible of him, incredibly so and, I believe, would cost America greatly if she ever had any place in the White House.
I’m willing to try Obama out because he’s intelligent, aware -and is a thousand times more informed, his VP included, on policy and current issues abroad and at home.
Ok. I will try to make this brief. I didn’t address all the crazy amounts of history and EVERY SINGLE FACT because it was intended to be a simple opinion piece and not an in-depth, ten volume entreatise about each cnadidate’s entire life.
I do just as much research as you, and have heard all about the many things you commented on in your reply to my post. The only thing I can say is that your sources are obviously as dubious as you claim mine are.
Let’s just agree that we are both well informed, both highly opinionated, and both too long winded for our own good – one moreso than the other.
But I am still glad you at least gave me a cogent arguement. Many people can’t disagree without being rude, so you get kudos on your decorum.
how is Obama a patent liar? and what is racial popularity? i’m not voting for Obama, but i don’t see any support for your claims.
JP – When a man attends a church for over 20 years, and considers the preacher of that church as a personal friend and mentor, there is no way in hell he truly missed all the instances of that preacher spouting anti-American hate speach. To say so is a lie.
As far as the racial popularity – when 98% of black people who are voting, will vote for Obama, that is racial popularity because there is no way in hell that all 98% truly buy into every word the man says. You have to admit there is a large percentage of them who are only voting for him because of his race. That is racial popularity.
Sarah Palin brings a similar element to McCain, and I freely admit that. I think it’s just as wrong, too. It isn’t racial popularity with her, but it is gender popularity, and just as silly.
i think the “God damn America” speech was taken out of context. wasn’t there a longer cut indicating that he was imitating or paraphrasing someone’s opinion? i don’t know about Wright’s history. maybe he personally said ‘G-d A’ also. he is ex-military though. i don’t think it’s that likely he was letting loose with anti-American speech for 20 years and he had the following he had. that is one instance of “lying” by Obama. i still don’t see a pattern.
black people are still a minority. they aren’t exactly popular either. when Keyes ran for the Republican primary, i’m guessing that 98% of white folks voted for him. i didn’t hear anyone complain about that ‘popularity’ then. this popularity thing sounds like a red herring to me. if a party wants to win an election, they’re better off going after the most popular person with the group that is largest, i.e. white folk, not some chance from a smaller group.
i don’t want to turn this into a go ’round. like you said, you’re entitled to your opinions. thanks for answering my questions.